Celtel in Koindu

The Resident Minister Eastern Province, Sahr Randolph Fillie Faboe, last Friday (11th May 2007) launched Celtel’s base station in Kissi Bendu chiefdom, Koindu town. This event makes the telecommunication giant the first company to cover that part of the country which straddles both the Guinea and Liberia border areas and a very strategic rendezvous for traders that make up the Mano River Union. The ceremony was well represented by a galaxy of community leaders and chiefdom elders from Guinea and Liberia at the court Barray.

Before the launch Celtel’s Marketing Director, Bernard Sisay, told the gathering that Celtel was a unifying force in post war Sierra Leone. This fact, he said, should be judged based on Celtel’s US$350,000 investment in Koindu aimed at benefiting, among others, the communities in the town and in the border areas with Koindu. He said they could now communicate with ease wherever they were and no longer would have to go through the hassles of having to physically get in touch with each other by transport. Mr. Sisay hoped that his company’s extended coverage to Koindu would significantly contribute towards maximizing cross border business activities among the Mano River Union countries. Celtel operates in 14 other African countries.

Bernard Sisay revealed that before the end of the year his company would invest another US$30 million in Sierra Leone bringing its overall investment to US$100 million.

Minister Fillie Faboe in his launching statement described the day and occasion as ‘historic, memorable and a milestone in the post-war history of Sierra Leone’. He said the extended coverage to Koindu demonstrated that Celtel was a responsive company; pointing out that during the company’s coverage launch in Kailahun on 5th May 2006 and performed by V.P. Berewa he had prevailed on Management to include Koindu. ‘They listened and today the dream of Koindu people has finally come true.’